French Toast Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

• 1 challah loaf, sliced 3/4 inch thick
• 8 extra-large eggs (I used large with no issues)
• 5 cups half-and-half or milk
• 3 tbs honey
• 1 tbs grated orange zest
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• Confectioners’ sugar and pure maple syrup, for serving

Directions:

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Arrange the bread in two layers in a 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking dish, cutting the bread to fit the dish. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, honey, orange zest, vanilla, and salt. Pour the mixture over the bread and press the bread down. Allow to soak for 10 minutes.
4. Place the baking dish in a larger roasting pan and add enough very hot tap water to the roasting pan to come an inch up the side of the baking dish. Cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil, tenting it so the foil doesn’t touch the pudding. Make two slashes in the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes, remove the aluminum foil, and bake for another 45 minutes, until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set. Remove from oven and cool slightly.
5. With a small sieve, dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar and serve hot in squares with maple syrup on the side.

Source: http://ginamarieskitchen.com/2010/11/30/french-toast-bread-pudding/

Eggnog Waffles

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup eggnog
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons rum or 1 teaspoon rum flavoring
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 eggs

Directions:

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine.
3. Follow the instructions included with your waffle iron to complete the waffles.

Source: http://www.coconutandlime.com/2009/12/eggnog-waffles.html

Breakfast Nachos Skillet

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 leeks, white parts only, chopped
• Salt and black pepper
• One 6-ounce bag baby spinach
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 7 ounces corn tortilla chips, approximately half of a store-bought bag
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
• 4 large eggs
• 10 cherry tomatoes, halved

Procedures

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Heat a sauté pan over medium heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan and swirl to coat.
3. After a minute add the onion and leeks to the pan and season with the salt. Cook the vegetables until translucent and tender.
4. Add the spinach and continue to cook, turning the spinach over, until wilted and coated in oil. Add the lemon juice and continue to cook.
5. Meanwhile, evenly arrange the tortilla chips in a cast-iron skillet. (An oven-safe 10-inch pan will work as well.) Cover the chips with half of the cooked spinach-leek mixture. Evenly distribute the fresh mozzarella slices over the vegetables. Spread the remaining vegetables over the cheese.
6. Make four wells an equal distance apart in the vegetable mixture. Crack an egg into each well.
7. In a small bowl, toss the halved cherry tomatoes in the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Evenly distribute the tomatoes around the edge of the skillet to garnish.
8. Bake the nachos skillet in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the egg whites have firmed up. Bake for longer if you do not like runny eggs.

Source:  http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/06/breakfast-nachos-skillet-from-ultimate-nachos.html

Bananas Foster French Toast

Ingredients

serves Serves 4, active time 30 minutes, total time 30 minutes

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, divided
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup rum
• 4 bananas, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces on the bias
• 3/4 cup milk
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 slices hearty white bread
• 1/2 cup whipped cream

Procedures

1. Heat half of butter in a medium non stick skillet until melted, add 1/3 cup brown sugar and rum and stir until sugar has begun to melt. Add sliced bananas and turn heat down to low. Cook, stirring occasionally until bananas are cooked and coated in the sugar mixture, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. In a shallow dish whisk together milk, eggs, remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and vanilla extract. In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium high heat. Dip 4 slices of bread in the milk and egg mixture making sure both sides are coated and the bread has begun to saturate, then place in the pan. Cook swirling gently, until browned, about 3 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until browned on second side, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a warm serving platter. Repeat with remaining bread and batter.
3. Divide toast between 4 plates, then top each plate with banana mixture and whipped cream if desired.

Source: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/08/bananas-foster-french-toast-recipe.html

Breakfast Tacos with Eggs, Spinach, and Bacon

Ingredients

serves Serves 2 to 3, active time 30 minutes, total time 30 minutes

• 4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 2 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 quart packed flat leaf spinach leaves, roughly chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup salsa verde
• 4 soft flour or corn tortillas, warmed
• Crumbled queso cotija or feta cheese, lime wedges, and sliced scallions and cilantro for garnish

Procedures

1. Cook bacon in a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon, leaving fat behind.
2. Add garlic to bacon fat and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and pale golden, about 1 minute. Add half of spinach and cook until wilted, about 30 seconds. Add remaining spinach and cook until wilted and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and wipe out skillet.
3. Melt butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. Add eggs and cook, stirring constantly, until no longer watery but still moist, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper and transfer to a plate.
4. Spread salsa over each tortilla and divide spinach evenly. Divide eggs on top of spinach and top with crumbled bacon. Serve immediately with crumbled queso cotija or feta cheese, lime wedges, and sliced scallions and cilantro.

Source: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/09/breakfast-tacos-eggs-spinach-bacon.html

Chicken Enchilada Omelet

1 cup cooked, shredded chicken

1 (10 ounce) can red enchilada sauce, divided

2 tablespoons mild green chiles, canned or fresh

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

4 large eggs, separated

1 tablespoon heavy cream or milk

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/4 cup grated pepper jack cheese, divided

1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese, divided

3 tablespoons crushed tortilla chips

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salsa, sour cream, and salsa verde, for serving

Combine the chicken, 3/4 cup enchilada sauce, green chiles, and chili powder in a medium skillet and cook on moderate heat until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and keep warm.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and cream along with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or with an electric hand mixer), beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form, 4 to 5 minutes.

Melt the butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over low to medium-low heat (a 10-inch skillet will work but the omelet will be on the thicker side). Gently fold the egg whites into the yolks until completely combined. Pour the mixture into the skillet and allow to cook until almost completely set. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the pepper jack and 2 tablespoons of the cheddar cheese along with the tortilla chips over the surface of the omelette. Transfer the skillet to the broiler to melt the cheese, 1 to 2 minutes.

Spread a layer of the warm chicken mixture down the center of the omelet. Run a silicone spatula around the edges to loosen it from the skillet. Fold it in half and transfer to a plate. Drizzle with a few tablespoons enchilada sauce and the remaining cheese. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and salsa verde on the side.

Source:  http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-chicken-enchilada-omelet-recipes-from-the-kitchn-191267

Cinnamon Rolls

Dough

• 2 1/4  tsp. yeast
• 1 cup warm milk(make sure it’s from 105 ° F- 110°F. If it’s any less the yeast won’t activate you will end up with dense, hard rolls, or if you make it too high, the yeast will die, and you will still end up with dense hard rolls)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup brown unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups all-purpose flour(and some more afterwards)

Filling

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup unsalted brown butter at room temperature

1. In a large bowl add in the yeast and the milk, and stir around a little until all the yeast is fully dissolved.
2. Add the sugar, the brown butter(still liquid-y but slightly cooled, you should be able to touch it for a bit, if it’s too hot it may cook the eggs a little), salt and eggs. Mix well. It’ll be very liquid-y still.
3. Sift in the flour cup by cup(it doesn’t make a difference if you dump in the whole thing or not, but it’s just easier).
4. You now have a giant lump of  pale sticky dough. Get some flour, shape it into a neat dough ball and leave it in a warm(not hot or it’ll cook) place to rise. Check back in a half an hour or until the dough has risen and doubled in size(it’s look really big compared to what you last saw, and if it isn’t let it stay there for a little more. It has to rise or else you will end up with dense cinnamon rolls) a tip I learned from 17andbaking: microwave a cup of water in the oven for 3 minutes and then leave the dough in there. It’s a perfect place because its warm and moist.
5. Meanwhile the dough rises mix together all the ingredients for the filling and leave it in the bowl. it should look very brown and feel grainy due to the brown sugar.
6. After the dough has risen take it out again and flour the place your working on, and roll it out evenly to a 21×16 rectangle( if you don’t get it even you will have “interestingly” formed swirls, that won’t be all that pretty, and sometimes if you roll it out unevenly enough you’ll have too much dough in one place and it won’t taste right. also, if you over knead it it will become elastic-y and very hard to roll out!
7. Spread the cinnamon sugar butter filling all over the dough, and roll it up starting from the longer 21 inch side and now you have this giant dough log thing.
8. Cut it up the giant log thing into 2 and half centimeter pieces and put into a greased pan, evenly spaced out, a little more than in the picture shown below.
9. Let the rolls rise again.
10. Bake at 400 degrees until light golden brown on top(approx 10 mins).

Source: http://notoriousexperiments.wordpress.com/2010/10/31/cinnamon-rolls-fall/

Fresh Blackberry Bread

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup butter. softened
• 4 eggs
• 4 3/4 cups all-purpose or unbleached flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2-3 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened blackberries

Preheat oven 325F and grease loaf pans.

Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs individually and vanilla extract.  Mix  dry ingredients and alternate adding buttermilk and dry ingredients to batter.  Fold in blackberries.  Pour in loaf  pans and bake 50-60 minutes or till toothpick comes clean.

Source:  http://foodwhores.org/2013/06/01/fresh-blackberry-bread/

Fresh Corn Fritters

serves 3-4.

1 cup plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp hot smoked paprika
1 tbsp sugar
2 medium eggs
1/2 cup milk
fresh corn kernels, cut from 2 cobs
oil for frying

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, paprika and sugar. Crack in the eggs and beat them into the flour. Add the milk bit by bit and stir well to combine. You should end up with a very thick pancake batter. Stir through the corn kernels.

Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil, twirling the pan to coat the surface evenly. Fry the batter as you would pancakes, using 1 tablespoonful of batter per fritter. This will take about 1-2 minutes a side, until they are golden brown.

Serve with rashers of bacon on the side and honey or maple syrup to pour over.

Source: http://tamarindandthyme.wordpress.com/2008/10/31/fresh-corn-fritters/

Maple-, Pecan-, and Bacon-Stuffed French Toast

Ingredients

serves Serves 6, active time 20 minutes, total time 1 hour, plus overnight in the fridge

• 3/4 cup pecans
• 1 pound sliced bacon cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• Salt
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 12 slices bread, crusts removed

Procedures

1. Heat a large stainless steel skillet over medium high heat, add pecans and toast until nuts are aromatic and beginning to brown, gently tossing the nut in the skillet while they toast, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and when cool enough to handle coarsely chop.
2. Add bacon to skillet and return to medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until brown and crisp, about 12 minutes. transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
3. In a large bowl combine half and half, milk, maple syrup, eggs, and a pinch of salt and whisk to combine. Dip sliced bread in batter then arrange bread along bottom of an 8- by 11-inch baking dish. Scatter pecans and chopped bacon over the bread, then dip remaining bread in the batter and arrange on top. Re-whisk batter then pour remaining batter over the bread and press down gently. Let stuffed French toast sit in the fridge for an hour, or up to overnight.
4. When ready to bake preheat the oven to 375°F and bake until top of French toast is cooked though and tops are browned, about 25 minutes. Slice and serve hot with maple syrup.

Source: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/10/maple-pecan-bacon-stuffed-french-toast.htm